Letting Go
by laurah2215
Summary: Pairing: CJ/Danny; Series: The Concannon's:Present, Past and Future; Story # 7;Abbey gets her college acceptance letters.


Title: Letting Go

Title: Letting Go  
Series: The Concannon's Present, Past and Future  
Author: Laura H  
Rating-Teen  
Disclaimer: Insert random "I do not own"….  
Synopsis: Abbey's faced with an important decision, and the choice  
will have substantial impacts on the Concannon's and Lyman's.  
This series will encompass a couple stories already posted and ones I  
will write in the future. I'll post the timeline before each story, so  
as to avoid confusion.  
Story 1-I Loved Her First  
Story2- Just Another Day in Paradise  
Story 3: My Little Girl  
Story 4:Chivalry Isn't Dead  
Story 5:He's Just Sensitive  
Story 6: The Hardest Conversation Ever  
Story 7: Letting Go

Timeline-what you need to know for now:  
Nov 2006- CJ and Danny finally see what they've been missing for eight  
years.  
Jan 2007- CJ and Danny move to California together. CJ becomes  
President of the Hollis Foundation. Danny begins writing Josiah  
Bartlet's biography.  
July 2007-CJ and Danny get married at the Bartlet farm and conceive  
Abigail during their honeymoon in Ireland.  
Sept 2007- Danny starts school to finish his doctorate  
Feb 2008- Abigail is born  
March 2009-Patrick is born.  
January 2011:" Story 5-He's Just Sensitive"  
Sept 2013:Story 2-"Just Another Day in Paradise"  
Nov 2013- February 2014: Story 3- "My Little Girl"  
June 2021: Story 4- "Chivalry Isn't Dead"  
Jan 2025:Story 6-"The Hardest Conversation Ever"  
March 2025:Story 7-" Letting Go"  
May 2033: Story 1-Abigail's wedding- "I Loved Her First"

Part 1

After finishing school at three o'clock, Noah had driven Ella  
home from drama rehearsals and dropped Davy off at a friend's house  
where he'd be working on a science project. Normally Noah doesn't have  
time to be driving his siblings around the city, as he's typically at  
the local congressman's office where he works or at his volunteer  
placement at the YMCA after school. But Friday afternoons and evenings  
are his time off and he's itching to get home so he can see Abbey.  
Abbey is as busy as Noah with her part-time job at the Hollis  
Foundation and volunteering with the local Green Peace chapter, but  
generally has Fridays free, as well. She had just called Noah's cell  
and informed him that the letters had arrived in the mail box. Judging  
by the tone in her voice, Noah could tell Abbey was a mixture of  
nervous anticipation and uncertainty. They would soon be required to  
make an important decision for their future. Lifting the stack of  
bills and letters out of the mailbox, Noah's hands tremble with the  
weight of his future. Setting the bills in the foyer, Noah locks up  
the house and practically runs down the street to the Concannon's.

Abbey swings the door open, obviously having been waiting  
anxiously at the window. " Did you get yours?"

"Yeah, all of them. Did you get them all?" Noah steps inside and  
Abbey closes the door behind him.

Nodding silently, Abbey ushers Noah into the kitchen. She  
rummages through the fridge and grabs two cans of diet cola. She picks  
a stack of envelopes off the counter, hands Noah a soda and heads into  
the den. It's not like Abbey to be so quiet, and it has Noah feeling  
even more nervous.

"You wanna open them together?" Noah inquires, taking a seat next  
to Abbey on the couch facing the T.V. in the den.

Abbey nods and fidgets with the envelopes. " Start with U.C.L.A?"

Noah sorts through his own pile and pulls out the letter from  
U.C.L.A. Simultaneously, they peel open their respective letters and  
almost immediately their countenances relax.

"In. At least I got my safe school and was offered scholarship  
money. You?" Abbey is somewhat relieved to know she had gained early  
acceptance to at least one college. She had assumed she would get in,  
but there's always that doubt. Judging by the thickness of the  
envelopes, the results look positive. This is supposed to one of the  
greatest days of their educational lives, but the ominous elephant in  
the room reminds them that the decision will have enormous consequences.

"Accepted. Come here." Noah wraps one arm around Abbey's back and  
squeezes lightly. "Congratulations. Which one next?"

"Harvard," states Abbey softly. She rips this one a little  
quicker but watches Noah's reaction before glancing at her own.

Beaming brightly, Noah looks back up. "Accepted, and offered a  
scholarship."

Abbey squeals and hugs Noah soundly. " Me, too! That's great.  
Your dad's gonna be so proud."

"Yeah," Noah replies lightly. He's trying to contain his  
excitement because he doesn't know where Abbey will choose to go to  
school. "Berkley?" Noah hadn't applied to U.C. Berkley, but is pretty  
sure Abbey got accepted and knows that CJ and Danny would be very  
pleased if Abbey chose to go there or U.C.L.A.

Scanning the letter, Abbey grins. "They're offering me a full  
scholarship!"

"That's great, Abbey," Noah smiles genuinely and squeezes Abbey's  
free hand.

"Yale next?" suggests Abbey , already opening her letter.

Noah breathes a sigh of relief after reading his letter. His  
parents really would be proud. " In. You?"

Abbey holds Noah's gaze and nods. The nerves are back. They're  
almost to the end of their piles. "Notre Dame and Columbia?" She had  
applied to the former and Noah to the latter. No surprise, they both  
received early acceptance.

"I guess this is your dad's dream come true. You can go to Notre  
Dame and then join a convent," Noah teases lightly, sensing Abbey's  
growing tension.

Abbey cracks a small grin, blushing slightly, and stares into  
Noah's brown eyes (the only Lyman child that had inherited Josh's eyes  
and hair). " It's a little late for that." Licking her lips, her eyes  
avert to the coffee table and the last two remaining envelopes  
occupying it. "That just leaves Georgetown."

"Go ahead," encourages Noah gently, handing Abbey her final package.

Fingering the envelope carefully, Abbey steals one last glance at  
Noah before slowly peeling the paper. Upon reading the response, a  
mixture of emotions flicker over her face and compete for dominance in  
her mind: joy, relief, excitement, contentment, nervousness, doubt and  
sadness. " Acceptance, and a scholarship."

"Same." Noah puts on his best smile, still trying to gauge  
Abbey's thoughts. "What, what do you wanna do?" Noah runs his tongue  
across his lips and a hand through his mass of light brown curls.

Troubling her bottom lip, Abbey stares helplessly at Noah. " I  
don't know," she admits solemnly. Noah had been accepted too, but that  
doesn't mean he truly wants to go to Georgetown.

"You wanna go to Georgetown?" Noah asks directly.

"Maybe…"Abbey averts her eyes again.

"Abbey, I know you wanna go. You've been talking about it for two  
years. It's got the program you really want." Noah just wants her to  
be honest with herself and him.

"That doesn't matter…"Abbey dismisses.

"Yes it does. Abbey, if you want to go to Georgetown, I can go  
with you. You need to do what your heart really wants." Noah fights to  
contain the sliver of doubt and disappointment. He had really been  
dreaming about Harvard.

Shaking her head vehemently, Abbey disagrees. " No. You can't go  
to Georgetown. You have no interest in anything there and you really  
wanna go to the Kennedy School of Government. If you don't go, you're  
just gonna end up regretting it and resenting me for it later."

Sighing lightly, Noah shakes his head. " I could never resent you."

Exhaling deeply, Abbey physically deflates. " This is no way to  
start a life together. We can't have resentment. If you don't go to  
Harvard, you'll never truly be content."

"But I don't wanna be without you," Noah blurts. He had never  
told that to anyone; he had hardly admitted it to himself.. He had  
always covered up his fear of splitting apart from Abbey. Since the  
Lyman's moved to Santa Monica when Noah was only a toddler, he hadn't  
spent more than a couple weeks away from Abbey (and that was only for  
her bone-marrow transplant, and different vacations and summer camps).

A single tear cascades down Abbey's cheek as her blue eyes lock  
with Noah's. " I don't wanna be without you, either. But…but maybe  
this is just what we gotta do to see if we can make it work." Sobs  
silently begin to rack her body, and she can't put on a brave face any  
longer.

Noah envelopes Abbey in a tight hug, burying his face in Abbey's  
hair as she clutches his shoulder blades with both hands. "This is  
gonna be hell," Noah finally articulates, pulling back and wiping  
Abbey's tear track.

Wholeheartedly agreeing, Abbey pouts. "But we're gonna be  
stronger for it, right?"

Noah nods his acquiescence. " Abbey, we're gonna make this work.  
It'll be hard, but we've gotta do it. I'll go to D.C. on weekends,  
we'll talk every day on the phone…everything. You wanna stay together,  
right?"

Collecting herself, Abbey manages a weak smile. "Of course."

Toying with the small silver ring on Abbey's right hand, Noah  
gazes back into her eyes. "When I gave you this for your birthday, I  
promised that I'd do anything to build upon and nurture our love. That  
promise sticks. We're gonna make it through the next four years of  
undergrad and someday, I know, I'm gonna put a diamond on your finger  
and give you the wedding of your dreams."

Smiling adoringly between intermittent sobs, Abbey bobs her  
head. " You sure? Bet there's lots of hot girls with fantastic minds  
at Harvard."

Noah lets out a low chuckle and runs a thumb over Abbey's palm. "  
I won't need to look at any of em cause I got a beautiful girl with  
an exceptional mind at Georgetown," he states with conviction.

"Really? You should give me her number so we can compare notes on  
you," Abbey jokes right back.

" I don't think there's a girl anywhere that would put up with  
all my quirks like you do," Noah says seriously, wrapping both arms  
around Abbey again. " We're gonna be okay."

Sighing out loud, Abbey pulls back. " Now I've just gotta figure  
out how to break my dad's heart."

Part 2

"Hey, guys," CJ calls, dropping her briefcase on the table in the  
foyer and heading to the den. When she enters the room, she finds  
Abbey and Noah sitting on the couch and watching music videos on T.V.  
"How was school?" CJ enquires. " Is PJ home yet?"

"School was fine. PJ's still at his tea party; he'll be home by  
five." Abbey manages a joke, despite her unease about disclosing her  
choice of school to Danny.

CJ rolls her eyes and fixes her daughter with a warning glare. "  
It's not a tea party; it's his poetry club. He's a very good writer  
and he enjoys sharing his passion with other kids. And you should stop  
teasing him about it because you know how difficult it is for him to  
find social activities that he's comfortable with."

Chuckling softly, Abbey shrugs her shoulders. "Fine; but don't  
be surprised if he starts growing his hair out, smoking pot and  
telling us all to give peace a chance.'"

"He's not a hippie. And remember this comes from the girl who  
recycles plastic wrap and who once tried to run a wild-life  
preservation hospital in our garage." CJ shakes her head and steps  
back into the hall.

"Mom," Abbey calls out and stands up, holding the acceptance  
letters in her hand.

Poking back into the room, CJ catches a look at the papers in  
Abbey's hands and adopts a hopeful smile. " They came?"

Despite her dread of having to relay the bad news to her father,  
Abbey can't help but smile in pride. " Acceptances all around. Some  
scholarships, too."

CJ lets out a light squeal and rushes to hug her daughter. " Oh,  
that's so great, sweetheart. You worked so hard and we're so proud of  
you." Her smile is full of pride and excitement for her teen. "What  
about you, Noah?"

" I got into all the places I applied, too," he tells CJ.

CJ hugs Noah quickly before clapping her hands and beaming. "  
All right. This calls for a celebration. If you haven't already, Noah,  
go tell your parents. Your mom's there and I'm sure your dad won't be  
long if he isn't home from work yet. Ask if they want to join us at  
The Ranch for Mexican tonight. I'm gonna go upstairs and change out of  
this suit. Abbey, if your father comes home don't give him the good  
news yet. I wanna see his reaction. I know he's gonna be so happy for  
you." CJ dashes out of sight, leaving the kids alone again.

Sharing a nervous look with Noah, Abbey resumes her seat.

"I'm gonna go see my parents. You want me to be there when you  
tell your dad?" Noah grabs his cell off the table and shoves it in his  
back jean pocket.

"No, that's okay." Grimacing a little, Abbey explains. "He may  
blow up, and it's better that you're not here to witness the blood and  
guts everywhere."

"Will the blood and guts come from you or Danny?" Noah deadpans,  
retrieving his acceptance packages.

Rolling her eyes with a tiny smile, Abbey shakes her head. " It  
could go either way."

Noah smiles at the joke and gives Abbey's hand a reassuring  
squeeze. "Just remember that more than anything he just wants you to  
be happy."

"But he'd be a lot happier if I was close," Abbey says pointedly.

"Call if you wanna talk. Otherwise I'll see you later." Noah  
leans down and pecks Abbey's cheek.

"This is amazing. If you go to Berkley I can show you the best  
places in the libraries to study and show you to all the buildings and  
the book store. Oh, you'll love the textbooks. I remember this one…

Laughing lightly, Abbey puts a hand up to stop her mom. " Mom, I  
don't think I'm gonna go to Berkley. I know it would be cheapest but…"

CJ shakes her head. " Don't worry about the cost, honey. You  
should go wherever you want to and we'll work out the rest. Oh, but if  
you go to U.C.L.A Dad can show you everything and introduce you  
personally to all your profs. Maybe you can even grab lunch at the  
cafeteria together between classes. He'd be thrilled to have you at  
the university he teaches at." CJ flips quickly through the various  
information booklets spread out on the kitchen table.

Abbey doesn't have the heart yet to tell her mom that she won't  
be studying at her father's school. She's spared when Danny shuts the  
front door and relays to his family his arrival.

"We're in the kitchen. Hurry up, Abbey's got fantastic news." CJ  
practically dances to the cupboards and retrieves two wine glasses to  
pour the remainder of the refrigerated white zinfandel into. When  
Danny enters the kitchen, a look of excited anticipation oozing from  
his features, CJ hands her husband a glass and gives Abbey a nod to  
indicate it's time.

Biting her lip, Abbey makes the decision to be as enthusiastic as  
possible so her father will focus on her acceptances and not how she's  
moving across the country. " I got all my early acceptances today. I  
even got offered some scholarships." She beams and giggles gleefully.

Danny's eyes widen in delight and he pulls Abbey into a giant  
bear hug. If he had his former strength (and his daughter wasn't five  
feet and nine inches tall) he would have lifted her into the air like  
he used to do. "Abbey, that's just fantastic, baby. I am so proud of  
you. You worked hard and it certainly paid off. "

"It's so wonderful. Noah got into all the schools he chose, as  
well. We're going out with the Lyman's to celebrate." CJ stands at the  
counter and sips her wine, letting Abbey show Danny all the  
information packages sent by the various schools.

"You would love U.C.L.A. Did I ever tell you about the campaigns  
the environmental club launches? You could get really involved with  
them. And wouldn't it be great if our classes were at the same times  
so we could car pool? I can't wait to show you off to my colleagues.  
You remember meeting Dr. Bernstein last year? I could get you into his  
intro to…"

"Dad," Abbey cuts him short, laying a hand on the hand of Danny's  
that skimming through the U.C.L.A booklet. "Daddy," Abbey begins  
quietly. She can't let this go on any longer. It'll ruin their  
celebratory dinner, but she can't stand to let her father get his  
hopes and dream set so high only for her to have to bring them down.  
"I'm…I'm not going to U.C.L.A." She swallows hard and catches Danny's  
eyes, begging him to understand.

Obviously floored, Danny's expression flickers from hurt and  
disappointment to forced ambivalence. "A-kay. You…you were thinking  
Berkley? That's a great choice, too."

CJ listens earnestly, already deducing that Abbey is going to be  
living out of state come September.

Averting her eyes to the table, Abbey shakes her head of loose  
curls. " No, Daddy. I want to go to Georgetown. The earth science and  
politics courses are some of the best in the country and a degree from  
there would really help me get a job with an environmental agency.  
Plus, I really wanna do this on my own, not by going to Mom's Alma  
Mater or the school you work at."

Exhaling deeply, Danny runs his tongue across his bottom lip. "  
You wanna go to school in Washington?"

" I really do,"Abbey states with conviction.

Danny turns to catch CJ's eyes before turning back to his  
daughter in the seat beside him. "Then you will. We'll do anything we  
can to help. At the very least Toby and Annabeth and Margaret, not to  
mention a dozen of your mother's former colleagues, would be close if  
you ever needed anything immediate."

Abbey is so startled by this response that her mouth hangs agape  
and she has to look at CJ to ensure this man is actually her father.  
"Really? You're not upset?"

Danny offers a warm smile and holds Abbey's hand. "If you're  
asking if I'm gonna miss you like crazy, the answer is a resounding  
yes'. I'm sure I'll cry when I see your empty bedroom for the first  
time and we go to have a family meal without you at the table. But  
I've learned these past seventeen years that there's gonna come a time  
when I've gotta let go. I'm not entirely enthused about it, but we  
certainly didn't nurture and love you for seventeen years to keep you  
living under this roof forever."

CJ holds her right hand over her heart and smiles proudly at her  
husband's soliloquy. Just like Abbey, Danny is growing up.

"I can't believe you're not even putting up a fight," Abbey huffs  
in disbelief.

Danny flashes a toothy grin. "I've discovered that when it comes  
to you two women, I'm usually gonna lose."

CJ walks over to the table and stands over Danny, squeezing his  
shoulders around the chair.

"But," Danny continues. " I expect you to make frequent trips  
home and call all the time."

"I knew there was a catch," Abbey teases, getting off her chair  
to wrap Danny in a hug. "I'll never forget where I came from."

Closing his eyes and reveling in the love of his two favourite  
women, Danny prays for the strength to let his daughter go.

A gentle rap at the door alerts Abbey to her mom's presence in  
the door -jamb. " Can I come in?"

Glancing up from the picture frame with a photo of her and Noah  
at Valentine's Day, Abbey nods mutely.

"You okay?" CJ enquires carefully, perching on the side of  
Abbey's bed.

"I'm thrilled; I'm going to college." But her tone betrays her words.

"Noah's going to Harvard," CJ puts out there as bait. Abbey  
hadn't told them this before they went to dinner. It had been Josh's  
boastful gloating that had clued them in.

Abbey's face falls and she physically deflates with a sigh. " I'm  
scared we're not gonna make it."

"It won't be easy," CJ acknowledges, running a hand down Abbey's  
arm comfortingly.

"Remember how much I missed Noah when I was in the hospital? And  
those summer camps a few years ago? This is gonna be like that times a  
hundred," Abbey whines and reaches for her mother. She hadn't wanted  
to ruin Noah's excitement by overly voicing her concerns. There would  
be time to deal with it all later.

CJ strokes Abbey's hair. " I remember how much stronger it  
made your relationship afterwards. It's gonna be hard to be so far  
away. But maybe this is what you need to do to see if it's going to  
work between you guys. You know, your father waited nearly a decade  
for me."

" Yeah, if we can make it then we'll certainly be ready to get  
married. I just hope our love now will be enough…"

"You'll have to be completely committed and trusting. It won't  
work if you're jealous of each other's friends or worrying about each  
other finding someone else. You're not gonna be able to date casually  
and you won't have your boyfriend around constantly to take you to  
parties and dances. I'm sure it will be lonely. That being said…" CJ  
narrows her eyes when she sees Abbey's hurt expression. " I have  
confidence that if you truly want to, you can make your relationship  
last. I'm very glad and relieved that you both chose to go where you  
really wanted to go and didn't let each other influence your decision."

"I knew if we didn't, we'd end up resenting each other later,"  
Abbey admits.

This reminds CJ of her and Danny and how she never wanted him to  
forsake his career or reputation because he would only end up  
regretting it later. While she would have been pleased if he had taken  
an editor's job while she was still Bartlet's press secretary, it's  
quite possible that their love wouldn't be the same if they had have  
started dating under those circumstances.

"It's a wise choice. And if you ever wanna talk, you know our  
ears are always available. We'll even pay to fly you home whenever  
you want. We'll figure this all out." CJ plants a kiss to Abbey's  
temple and runs her hands up and down Abbey's arms.

Pouting confusedly, Abbey leans into her mother's embrace. "Dad  
was so calm about everything. He even seems pretty excited. I'm so  
used to him over-reacting about all the major changes in my life."

CJ can't stifle her grin. " I think he's been growing up as a  
father just as you're growing up. There were times in the past when  
you were just a couple paces ahead of him and he had to run to catch up."

"Sometimes we weren't in the same hemisphere," Abbey corrects her  
mom with an eye roll.

CJ laughs lightly and squeezes Abbey's shoulder. " I know,  
sweetie. But he's come a long way and I think he's really trying to  
support your decision."

Grimacing and troubling her bottom lip, Abbey stares into CJ's  
eyes. "You really think he'll be okay? I mean, he's not a young man. I  
don't want him to have a heart attack when I move away."

CJ can't help but laugh. Her face contorts into a comforting  
expression. "Honey, you may be his only daughter and a place in his  
heart will always belong to you. But keep in mind that he's also got a  
son who he adores and um…oh, right, a wife." CJ smiles warmly to  
emphasize. " My point: this family will never be the same without you  
living here under our roof all the time, but we're still a family and  
we're gonna stick together through everything. And just as we've lost  
members of our family,like Grandpa Jed and Nana, I have a feeling  
we'll gain new members. And no matter how much it changes, we'll  
always love and support each other. Am I right?"

Nodding mutely, Abbey sighs.

"We're gonna have to learn to let go," CJ concludes.

"You okay?" CJ encircles her arms around Danny's bare shoulders  
as he stands in front of their bathroom vanity brushing his teeth.

Spitting the remains of the toothpaste into the sink, Danny  
catches his wife's eyes in the mirror. " Why do you ask?"

"You're awfully quiet, " CJ answers, pulling him by the shoulders  
to face her.

"It's been a busy day," Danny admits, leading CJ by the hand into  
their room.

As Danny lies down on his back, CJ snuggles up against him,  
resting her head in the crook of his neck. "Are you just pretending to  
be happy she's moving to Washington so she doesn't get upset and cry?"

Danny moves his head side-to-side. "No, I'm genuinely glad for her."

"Are you gonna be all right when she moves away?" CJ can imagine  
Danny moping and brooding around the house, waiting until six when he  
can call long-distance Abbey's dorm phone. That is, of course,  
provided he doesn't actually have a heart attack, which isn't out of  
the realm of possibility.

Placing a kiss to CJ's hair, Danny exhales deeply. "If you're  
here with me, I can get through anything. And, we've still got PJ. I'm  
pretty sure he won't choose anywhere far away to go to school. I was  
thinking maybe we could take up golfing or something. It's been years  
since we've played basketball together on the rec center teams. I've  
always done stuff with Abbey-playing basketball, driving her to  
gymnastics and piano lessons. But I feel like the only thing I've had  
in common with PJ is writing. He's really starting to get into the  
school paper and his fiction and poetry. Maybe I can make more of an  
effort to bond with him over that. He's really starting to come into  
himself and step a little out of his shell." Secretly Danny wishes  
that his son had been as sociable and active as his older sister. But  
PJ's autism and accompanying shyness have made him a bit of a recluse,  
and it always took a huge effort to get him involved in activities  
they could do together. Not that he loves his son any less, because  
Danny is incredibly proud of the young man the awkward teen is growing  
into and his kind soul and talent for the written word.

"That's a good idea. I think you and PJ bond well now, but it  
certainly couldn't hurt us to devote a little more time to nourishing  
his confidence in his hobby. I bet if you asked him, he'd let you  
read and comment on some of his work. Maybe he'll even ask you to a  
meeting of his poetry club or reading group. Anyway, I'm glad you're  
seeing the silver lining in all this. It's gonna be hard, but we'll  
learn to let go."

"Yeah," Danny breathes out, taking in the inevitability of  
evolution. The truth is Abbey is growing up and despite his desires to  
halt that, he knows deep inside that he wants her to be a  
self-sufficient person who always pursues her own goals. "We're  
letting go."

The End

Notes: By 2025, I'm sure they won't even use snail mail to deliver  
college acceptances. When I got my acceptances they were already doing  
it via e-mai/internet. But I liked the classic way and felt it told a  
better story.


End file.
